Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen ended up switching sides in the AFC north rivalry over the offseason going from the Baltimore Ravens to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It turns out from comments made at OTAs that he turned down more money from elsewhere to do so. Queen hit the open market in March coming off of a Pro Bowl bid and a second team All Pro nomination both firsts in his career, and he took a three year, $41 million deal to join the Steelers because he believes he can win a championship there with all of the moves the Steelers have made so far.
Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker Patrick Queen Had This To Say At OTAs About Joining The Team And Taking A Pay Cut
Patrick Queen had this to say about taking a pay cut to join the Steelers:
“From all the 15 teams that I was talking to, it came down to like five at the end”, It was just like five teams in the mix. Some of them were offering some $17 (Million per year). After that it was like, I have a chance to either go win or I have a chance to get paid. For me, the difference was like $4 or $5 million. I’m looking at it like, I’ve never been on a losing team before, and then I also don’t want to be a part of anything being rebuild because I’m trying to win now. I’m really just trying to win right now, get that out the way and then get paid later.”
The Steelers were lucky to lure Queen in thanks to a winning culture, great offseason acquisitions, and a sustained history of defensive domination. Coming off of a season with a career high of 133 tackles, he’s an ideal linebacker to capitalize behind pass rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. I’m sure he’ll be paid handsomely for his play regardless.
How Does Queen Fit In With His Former Division Arch Rivals And What Are His Plans With This Team
Patrick Queen will now face his former teammates twice a year in enemy colors, with one of the biggest hurdles if he wants to “win it all”. The Ravens are entering 2024 with the reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and the league’s reigning number one defense. Baltimore fell short of a Super Bowl but still are the top team in the division.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh have yet to suffer a losing season with head coach Mike Tomlin who’s been coaching the Steelers for 17 years now, but they’ve also failed to rise to the next level for over half a decade now. The Steelers haven’t won the AFC North since 2018 and never went beyond the wild-card round during that span. The focus this offseason has been to avoid the same result once again. Queen represents the team’s big-ticket addition on defense, while the two newcomers Russell Wilson and Justin Fields should find stellar protection behind an offensive line that added new talent from the draft.
Patrick Queen also aims to be more than halfway through a season that cements him among the NFL’s best and propels him closer to a ring:
“For me, just solidifying myself as a top-three linebacker in the NFL, There’s some people saying top three, some people saying top 10, some people saying top seven, so my job this year is just to solidify top three. No order. I don’t care as long as I solidify myself top three. That’s what my goal is. And what comes with is All-Pro, Pro Bowl, tackles, turnover, I think turnovers is the biggest thing. Getting my hands on the ball, whether that’s forced fumbles, interceptions, whatever I got to do.”
Patrick Queen is just another key acquisition for the Steelers over this offseason, and should be primed and ready to go, as the Steelers keep preparing themselves for an optimistic 2024-25 season.
